Her Story
About Maria
Maria Chiappe is the Founder and Coalition Coordinator of the Liberty County Community Coalition (LCCC), a collaborative initiative that brings together nonprofits, healthcare providers, government agencies, schools, businesses, and community leaders to strengthen access to resources and improve community well-being across Liberty County, Texas. Since founding LCCC in 2023, she has led the development of community partnerships, quarterly coalition meetings, resource-sharing initiatives, a bilingual community resource directory, and the coalition’s annual Community Resource Fair.
Maria brings more than 25 years of experience in communications, public relations, corporate social responsibility, and community engagement across the United States and Latin America. Her professional background includes leadership roles with Porter Novelli Peru, Montgomery County United Way, and the healthcare sector in the Houston area, as well as consulting work supporting organizations in building stronger relationships with the communities they serve.
Bilingual in English and Spanish, Maria holds a Bachelors Degree in Psychology from Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú and an M.A. in Communications and Public Relations Studies from the University of Houston. Her work is driven by a commitment to collaboration, relationship-building, and creating sustainable community impact.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Maria
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to passion, discipline, perseverance, and a genuine love for the work I do. I have always believed in giving my best, continuing to learn, and building authentic relationships with people. My ability to listen, connect people, and create collaboration around a common purpose has been central to my career and to the impact I strive to make in the community.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Do work you truly believe in and love, stay disciplined, and never underestimate the power of relationships. Throughout my career, I have learned that opportunities often come from doing your best even when no one is watching, and treating people with respect. Skills are important, but trust, credibility, and the relationships you build along the way can shape an entire career.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Approach the community with humility and never assume you have all the answers. The first step is to listen. Sometimes we believe we know what a community needs, but their actual priorities may be very different. Be open, ask questions, and listen before designing programs or solutions. I would also encourage young women to develop a broad range of skills. In communications and community engagement, you may need to write, organize, facilitate, build partnerships, manage projects, and solve problems. Stay curious and never stop learning.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the greatest challenges in coalition and community work is bringing together organizations that have different priorities, limitations, and ways of operating. Many community professionals are already managing demanding workloads, so finding the time to meet, collaborate, and stay engaged can be difficult. The challenge is to create enough value that people choose to make the coalition a priority. At the same time, this is also one of the greatest opportunities. When organizations see the benefit of working together, the impact can be significant. We have seen meetings grow to approximately 40 participating organizations and a community resource fair bring together more than 30 organizations and nearly 500 community members. That demonstrates the power of collaboration when people unite around a shared purpose.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Integrity, respect, empathy, discipline, and genuine human connection. I believe in treating people with dignity, being true to my word, and approaching others with an open mind and a willingness to listen
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